FREE AGENCY REVIEW

Linebacker duo highlights Raiders’ newest additions

By staying true to their word and focusing primarily on defense as they maneuvered through the first wave of free agency, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden significantly shored up a major weakness, particularly at linebacker where the team has been underwhelming for years.

While the signing of quarterback Marcus Mariota raised a few eyebrows, particularly among fans eager to see Derek Carr shipped out of town, it was the moves to bring in Cory Littleton (three years, $36 million) and Nick Kwiatkoski (three years, $21 million) that stood out most.

For obvious reasons, too. Beginning with the suspension of middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict, the Raiders were shorthanded on talent and bodies for much of 2019, and it showed. Outside of Tahir Whitehead, who started 15 games at strongside and one at weakside, the unit was basically a mess. And Whitehead, while consistent and productive, was only slightly better than average which is one of the reasons — along with more than $6 million in saved room under the cap — the Raiders released him.